Maritime Trauma

In this episode of Frontline Surgery: Mastering Military Trauma Care hosts Dr. Joshua Dilday and Dr. Jay Yelon are joined by Dr. Matthew Tadlock, an expert in maritime surgery and operational planning, to explore one of the most underrepresented environments in combat casualty care: surgery at sea. From burns and blast injuries aboard amphibious warships to emergency general surgery on a carrier with a single surgeon and a team of corpsmen, the episode unpacks the full breadth of what naval surgeons face and why the tyranny of time and distance demands a different kind of readiness.

The conversation covers patient movement through a threatened ship, evacuation decision-making in contested environments, and the launch of the Maritime Surgery Quality Improvement Program, which is bringing monthly case conferences, mentorship, and outcomes data to a community that previously had none. Dr. Tadlock closes with a reminder that maritime surgery is a joint problem, with Army, Air Force, and allied surgical teams increasingly integrated onto naval platforms, and that preparation for those environments has never been more urgent.

Literature Mentioned:
Expeditionary Surgery at Sea

Traumatic and Burn Injury during routine operations and war at sea

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
War at Sea: Burn Care Challenges
Injury Trends on US Navy Vessels

Elective and Emergency General Surgery
Surgery at Sea Nealeigh et al.
Surgical Care at Sea a retrospective review

Maritime Prolonged Casualty and Critical Care
Maritime Applications of PCC -Sepsis
Maritime Applications of PCC - Drowning and Hypothermia
Maritime Applications of PCC - Burns